ADSK vs. ZS: Autodesk vs. Zscaler Stock Comparison
How do Autodesk (ADSK) and Zscaler (ZS) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
Autodesk (ADSK) and Zscaler (ZS) both belong to the Software industry, though ADSK is classified under Application Software while ZS falls under Systems Software.
| Profile Item | ADSK | ZS |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Autodesk Inc. | Zscaler Inc. |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Information Technology | Information Technology |
| GICS Industry Group | Software & Services | Software & Services |
| GICS Industry | Software | Software |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Application Software | Systems Software |
| Market Capitalization | 54.70 billion USD | 32.23 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | June 28, 1985 | March 16, 2018 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | ADSK | ZS |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | -11.86% | -37.61% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 8.57% | 5.36% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | -4.48% | -10.75% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | ADSK | ZS |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 40.23% | 68.66% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.22 | 0.88 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -50.75% | -76.41% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 2.05M | 2.92M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | ADSK | ZS |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -0.40 | -0.61 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -0.57 | -0.79 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Zscaler (ZS) reports a negative ROE of -2.87%; negative ROE can reflect losses or negative shareholders’ equity, so it is harder to read as capital efficiency. Meanwhile Autodesk (ADSK) reports 53.85%, ranking against industry peers normally.
ADSK
Software & Services industry group
53.85%
- ADSK
- 53.85%
- Max
- 53.85%
- Q3
- 17.90%
- Median
- 6.59%
- Q1
- -9.59%
- Min
- -50.52%
ZS
Software & Services industry group
-2.87%
- Max
- 53.85%
- Q3
- 17.90%
- Median
- 6.59%
- ZS
- -2.87%
- Q1
- -9.59%
- Min
- -50.52%
Net Margin (TTM)
Zscaler (ZS) reports a negative net margin of -1.89%, usually indicating a net loss over the period. Meanwhile Autodesk (ADSK) reports 21.08%, ranking against industry peers normally.
ADSK
Software & Services industry group
21.08%
- Max
- 41.17%
- ADSK
- 21.08%
- Q3
- 15.28%
- Median
- 4.63%
- Q1
- -5.42%
- Min
- -33.17%
ZS
Software & Services industry group
-1.89%
- Max
- 41.17%
- Q3
- 15.28%
- Median
- 4.63%
- ZS
- -1.89%
- Q1
- -5.42%
- Min
- -33.17%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Zscaler (ZS) reports a negative operating margin of -1.01%, usually indicating that operating costs exceeded revenue at the operating-income line. Meanwhile Autodesk (ADSK) reports 29.23%, ranking against industry peers normally.
ADSK
Software & Services industry group
29.23%
- Max
- 46.89%
- ADSK
- 29.23%
- Q3
- 17.64%
- Median
- 8.73%
- Q1
- -2.13%
- Min
- -30.45%
ZS
Software & Services industry group
-1.01%
- Max
- 46.89%
- Q3
- 17.64%
- Median
- 8.73%
- ZS
- -1.01%
- Q1
- -2.13%
- Min
- -30.45%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | ADSK | ZS |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 53.85% | -2.87% |
| ROA (TTM) | 11.47% | -1.03% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 21.08% | -1.89% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 29.23% | -1.01% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 92.50% | 76.87% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both Autodesk (ADSK) at 17.53% and Zscaler (ZS) at 25.42% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
EPS Growth
Only one side can be read here: Autodesk (ADSK) reports EPS growth of 2.15%, ranked against its industry; Zscaler (ZS) has no EPS growth figure this period.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | ADSK | ZS |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 17.53% | 25.42% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 12.92% | 27.51% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 2.15% | -- |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 11.43% | -- |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Zscaler (ZS) at 1.70 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Autodesk (ADSK) at 0.86 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for ADSK.
ADSK
Software & Services industry group
0.86
- Max
- 5.11
- Q3
- 2.77
- Median
- 1.67
- Q1
- 1.01
- ADSK
- 0.86
- Min
- 0.03
ZS
Software & Services industry group
1.70
- Max
- 5.11
- Q3
- 2.77
- ZS
- 1.70
- Median
- 1.67
- Q1
- 1.01
- Min
- 0.03
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Both Autodesk (ADSK) at 1.10 and Zscaler (ZS) at 0.72 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.
ADSK
Software & Services industry group
1.10
- Max
- 2.52
- Q3
- 1.13
- ADSK
- 1.10
- Median
- 0.40
- Q1
- 0.07
- Min
- 0.00
ZS
Software & Services industry group
0.72
- Max
- 2.52
- Q3
- 1.13
- ZS
- 0.72
- Median
- 0.40
- Q1
- 0.07
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | ADSK | ZS |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.86 | 1.70 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 1.10 | 0.72 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -0.20 | -36.63 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Neither Autodesk (ADSK) nor Zscaler (ZS) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
ADSK
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- ADSK
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
ZS
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- ZS
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Neither Autodesk (ADSK) nor Zscaler (ZS) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
ADSK
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- ADSK
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
ZS
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- ZS
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | ADSK | ZS |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
An earnings multiple is available for just one side: Autodesk (ADSK) trades at 33.95 times trailing earnings, ranked against its peers, while Zscaler (ZS) has no P/E ratio this period.
ADSK
Software & Services industry group
33.95
- Max
- 112.94
- Q3
- 60.32
- ADSK
- 33.95
- Median
- 32.91
- Q1
- 18.77
- Min
- 6.69
ZS
Software & Services industry group
--
- Max
- 112.94
- Q3
- 60.32
- Median
- 32.91
- Q1
- 18.77
- Min
- 6.69
- ZS
- --
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Autodesk (ADSK) at 7.02 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while Zscaler (ZS) at 9.61 sits in the pricier quartile — ZS costs more per dollar of sales.
ADSK
Software & Services industry group
7.02
- Max
- 17.91
- Q3
- 8.78
- ADSK
- 7.02
- Median
- 4.25
- Q1
- 2.23
- Min
- 0.02
ZS
Software & Services industry group
9.61
- Max
- 17.91
- ZS
- 9.61
- Q3
- 8.78
- Median
- 4.25
- Q1
- 2.23
- Min
- 0.02
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Both Autodesk (ADSK) at 16.17 and Zscaler (ZS) at 12.40 carry a premium to book value versus peers, sitting in the upper P/B ratio quartile of their industries.
ADSK
Software & Services industry group
16.17
- Max
- 16.63
- ADSK
- 16.17
- Q3
- 8.50
- Median
- 4.30
- Q1
- 1.92
- Min
- -3.90
ZS
Software & Services industry group
12.40
- Max
- 16.63
- ZS
- 12.40
- Q3
- 8.50
- Median
- 4.30
- Q1
- 1.92
- Min
- -3.90
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | ADSK | ZS |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 33.95 | -- |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 7.02 | 9.61 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 16.17 | 12.40 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 5.77% | 3.34% |